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NEW" ENGLAND FARMER, 



SEPT. 30, 1843 



LICE ON ANIMALS. 

 TliPre is not nn animal that does not, under cer- 

 tain circtiinstances, nourish in its liair, wool, leath- 

 ers, or its skin, soma Itind of louse ; and sometimes 

 more than one kind of these parasites lodge and 

 prey on the same anuii.il. In ordinary cases, they 

 do not produce much mischief, but when they in- 

 crease so much Bs to produce the disease called 

 m^nac {Pityricsis.) they become truly formidable. 



The cause of animals being; troubled with lice, I ''y them. 



parting: the wool, and applyinjj the ointment direct- 

 ly lo the skin, and rubbing it down with the finger. 

 Tessier recolllmcnd^ tobacco smoke as preferable 

 lo this ointment, being attended with no danger in 

 its use. The sheep is held in such a manner that 

 the smoke is forced from a bellows among t!ie 

 wool to the skin in all directions. After tiiis fumi- 

 gation, the slipep must be placed in the open air, 

 that the vapor may pMss off without being inhaled 



may usually be traced to a want of cleanliness. [ 

 When the dust and sweat accumulated on the hai 



Perhapa the best remedy for lice in anima 

 where they have not become so numerous as to 



and in contact with the skin of the o.v or horse, are ' produce thi* disease Pityriasis, is to rub any oil, 



allowed to remain undisturbed by the comb or 

 brush; when the stables are kept filthy, unventi- 

 lated, and unwholesome; when animals, reduced 

 in autumn by want of pasture, or by living in un- 

 healthy ones, are suffered to take their chance for 

 the winter without extra care or attention ; or when 

 a beast loaded with pediculi is turned into the 

 jards or the stables of those exempt from these 

 parasites, it may be expected that they will multi- 

 ply and infest animals. When we see horses rub- 

 bing their tails, biting their manes, and showing 

 other signs of uneasiness and irritation ; when cat"- 

 tle are observed to be rubbing their heads against 

 posts or fences, and the hair coming off from the 

 head and neck; or when sheep tear out tufts of 

 wool with their teeth, and bile these places till 

 blood appears, we may expect that lice are present. 

 On most animals, these parasites have some favo- 

 rite place of resort ; on horses, the mane and tail ; 

 on horned cattl«, around the nose, base of the 

 borns, and the neck ; on sheep, they run over ev- 

 ery part; and on swine, they do not seem to be 

 confined to any particular location. 



Pure air, room for exercise, plenty of food, and 

 above all, cleanliness, are the first things to be at- 

 tended to in the cure of this evil. Currying, 

 brushing, and washing should be resorted to, as' 

 except in bad cases, this trealment will be usually 

 sufficient to free the animal from these insects, 

 without recourse to other rernedies. Wliere these 

 fail, it will be necessary to have recourse to such 

 external or internal applications as shall operate 

 directly on the vermin. 



One of the most conmion remedies is the mercu- 

 rial ointment, commonly called vngntnium ; but 

 this, though effectual, cannot be used without some 

 danger, as numerous in-.tance3 have occurred in 

 which valuable animals have been destroyed by its 

 too free use. Care should be taken to prevent the 

 animal from biting itself where the ointment is ap- 

 plied, until it has had time to take effect. A de- 

 coction of tobacco leaves, in a strong lye, forme a 

 very good wash ; but this, too, owing to the nar- 

 cotic poison of the tobacco, has caused death. Va- 

 rious vegetable remedies h^ive been resorted to, 

 among which are the seeds of the larkspur, and 

 the leaves of the ledum paluslre, or marsh, or Lab- 

 rador tea. The roots of the black hellebore, or a 

 decoction made from them, have been used with 

 success ; and it is said that the water in which the 

 skins or parings of potatoes have been boiled, will 

 effectually destroy lice by a few washings. Tho 

 imernal use of sulphur is an excellent remedy, and 



such as whale oil or melted lard, on such places 

 as they most freciiient, or on parts of the aiiimal 

 where they will be most likely to come in contact 

 with it. AH the pediculi breathe through what 

 are termed spiracles or openings in their bodies, 

 and the least particle of oil spread over their bod- 

 ies, by causing suffocation, at once effects their de- 

 struction. This is also a perfectly harmless reme- 

 dy. But prevention, in this case, is belter than 

 cure ; and neatness, cleanliness, and good keep- 

 ing, by insuring comfort and health, leaves no op. 

 portunity for the attacks of vermin. — Farmers'' En- 

 ci/clop. 



if 



HORSES AND OXEN. 



We take the following extract.^ from Hurger's 

 " Economy of Farming," recenlly translated from 

 the German, by Rev. E. G. Smith, of New York : 



The question whether horses or oxen are most 

 profitable on the farm, has been much discussed by 

 different writers of Germany. Tkaer thus slates 

 the arguments for and against: 



" Horses have an undeniable preference in the 

 following particulars: 



'i'hey are suitable for all and every kind of work 

 of land-liusbaudry, in all ways, and in all weath- 

 ers. One, therelore, when he keeps oidy horses, 

 is not obliged to choose work for them, but can 

 use his whole team for any business that occurs, 

 and leave no part of it to stand still. 



'J'hey accomplish every kind of work more rapid- 1 

 ly, and are more constant. One can, therefore, 

 not only complete the work in the same time more 

 promptly, but also require a longer day's work of 

 them. 



In favor of oxen are t!ie following : 

 They perform the greater part of tho work on 

 the farm, as plowing, and the near carryi.ng of 

 loads, as well as horses do; and one can in a usual 

 day's work, if they are well fed, expect nearly as 

 much from ihem. 



They cost considerably less; their harness is 

 much cheaper ; their food costs much less. 



What is an important particular, is, that if they 

 are well taken care of, tlicy lessen not as much in 

 value, but often sell for more than they at first 

 cost. They are also subject to fewer hazards and 

 casualties. 



Finally, they give a greater quantity of excre- 

 ment, which affords a more productive manure than 

 that of horses. 



There can, therefore, be no doubt, that those 

 labors which can be proportionally well performed 



Vfit has also discusst-d this question with h 

 usual philosophical accuracy and practical skil 

 In favor of Iwrses compared with oxen, be says: 



"I. The horse performs about one-third moi 

 labor in a day than the ox ; (a horse can, wit 

 good treatmenl, work 10 hours in a day, and in 

 year do 2.i0 to 290 days' work, and his age endui 

 to IG or 20 years;) and in the pressure of wot 

 and unfavorable circumstances of the weather, ma 

 more certainly be strained without danger n'n ai 

 count of the unusual performance, than cm the o; 



2. On account of their puwer and continuanci 

 also, horses cnn he u.sed a greater number of year 

 and of days in the year, than working oxen. 



3. Thi'y can be employed in bad, stony uneve 

 ways; in more unfavorable weather; and for mor 

 remote and more rapid currying of loads, where o.i 

 en cannot be used lo advantage, because these <r 

 more slow, have n(,t so ha.-d a hoof, and sho"' 

 themselves more aff.cted by the influences of th 

 weather. 



4. Horses may be used for manv kinds of wor 

 in the cultivation of plants, for drawing sowin 

 machines, shovel and hilling-plow, &o., for whic 

 oxen cannot be used. 



On the other hand, the following are the disaa 

 vaiUages of keeping /ioc^m, or \n fuvor of ozcn : 



1. The outlay of capital is important— greate 

 by one-half than that of working oxen. 



2. A working horse uses more, and belter fod 

 der than the working ox, which increase of th 

 quantity and quality of the fodder, (other circum 

 stances of the value of the fodder being equal,) i 

 at least a third part of the food of an ox? which', i 

 time of scarcity, is satisfied with a smaller qnantit 

 and poorer quali'y. 



3. 'I he other costs, of keeping, team-harnesM 

 appurtenances of carriage, shoeing, care, &.C., 

 higher, in tho same proportion, than for' worki 

 oxen. 



4. The horse has, if no more used for labor, nw 

 value for use ; therefore, the purchase-capital mus 

 be recovered from the number of years— whilst ihi 

 laboring ox, after his performance of labor, can b( 

 fattened with grent profit. 



5. On account of their temperament, horses, es. 

 pecially in case of the care of them being neglect, 

 ed, are exposed to many inflammatory co°nipluints 

 oxen, are exposed lo fewer illnesses. 



6. The Working horse, though ho needs more 

 fodder, gives less manure than the workin" 



ar. 



liiiij 



given to animals occasionally, is one of the best by oxen, will be done cheaper with o.xen than with 



preventives, 



It is more difficult to apply remedies for lice to 

 sheep (ban to any olher animals. The English 



horses. But if, according to recent experiments, 

 another fodder than grain can be introduced for 



, , , , - „ ■■=• I'orses, and thus the expense be lessened, then the 



shtpherds make use of a salve compounded of question between horses 



white arsenic and 



corrosive sublimate, carefully | aland differently." 



and oxen would probably 



PROPER DEPTH FOR SEEDS. 



Various experiments have been tried lo deter-. 



mine the proper depth at which seeds should bei 



put. The following is the result of an experiment 



with maize or Indian corn : 



That which was planted at the depth of 



No. J. 1 inch, came up in 8 1-2 days. 

 ' ' 9 1-2 



' ' 10 

 ' ' 11 1-2 



12 

 • ' 13 

 ' ' 13 1-2 



17 1-2 



The Nos. 8, y, II, were dug up after 23 days,, 

 and it was found that No. 8 had an inch more to. 

 grow to reach the surface of the earth. Nos. 9' 

 and 11 had just sprouted, but were short, and three 



